Heating and Cooling Strategies

Overview

There’s more to
heating and cooling than a boiling furnace and a frigid AC unit. An expensive
heating unit can lose its effectiveness and overspend on energy in a home with
inefficient insulation and ductwork. Whether you’re upgrading to a high efficiency furnace or installing a new central AC
unit, the key to saving energy is to combine energy efficient equipment with
efficient home infrastructure.

Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS)

HEMS automate heating, cooling and light settings to match
the homeowner’s schedule. Newer systems are able to control virtually all
energy-consuming equipment in your home while identifying opportunities to save
energy wherever possible.

HEMS include a number of ways to control your appliances.
These include touch screens, programmable thermostats,
electronic remotes, smart appliances with buttons and dials, smart plugs and
more. These components work together with your home smart meter to optimize energy consumption.

Energy Savings and Environmental Impact

HEMS can drastically improve a home’s energy consumption while reducing its carbon
footprint. Non-networked HEMS with no visual displays save an estimated 5
percent on energy use. Adding visual displays as constant reminders brings
estimated savings to 10 percent. On top of that, Networked systems allow for
exchanged information from smart meters and the utility company. Homeowners
with networked HEMS have more control over their rate cost structure and save
an estimated 20 percent on energy consumption.

Consider Geothermal Heating and Cooling

Geothermal heating and cooling
is an environmentally friendly approach to energy efficient temperature
control. After an initial investment, you’ll be using the Earth itself—for
free—to cool your home during the summer and warm it during the winter. These
systems use around 30 percent less energy than a standard heat pump! While the
temperature may range from extremely hot in the summer to freezing cold in the
winter, the temperature of the ground stays relatively constant. Geothermal
heating uses the ground’s consistent temperature to save money and energy every
year.

A geothermal heat pump uses
naturally heated water to warm up your home during the winter. Refrigerant
extracts warmth into the “evaporator coil” where the heated vapor can enter the
duct system. Meanwhile, the circulating water is pumped back outside to
circulate through the ground where it is warmed once again.

In the summer, the process is reversed: refrigerant extracts
heat out of the air inside your home and deposits that heat into the water. The
warmed water is then pumped outdoors where it cools underground and then
recycles.

Geothermal systems have a
large up-front investment and involve a lot of digging, so it usually makes
sense to install one when doing a major remodel. Moreover, the quality of the
ground under your home can make a big difference in how effective a geothermal system will be. Typically, 70 percent of
the energy used by a geothermal heat pump comes
from renewable energy stored within the ground, which is how you end up
lowering your utility bills by 30 to 40 percent.

Tips & Tricks

Maintenance Tips

Though thermostats and other HEMS devices may be easy
to install, integrated and networked HEMS installations should be performed by
a qualified professional to assure proper operation.

Check that infrared occupancy sensors are not
obstructed by other objects. These devices will not be able to operate properly
if blocked, leading to misoperation and loss of control.

Make sure that system setting overrides are reset after
use so that the system can return to normal.

Vacuum your smart power strips regularly to avoid
buildup of dust. The vacuum is able to draw dust away from exposed electrical
parts (wiping can cause dust to lodge in the power strip).

Review energy bills and HEMS generated usage reports on
a regular basis to confirm that all equipment and appliances are functioning as
expected and that savings are being recognized.

Check that your HEMS is functioning properly and
communicating with all connected home equipment following a temporary power
outage or loss of home network connectivity.

Loss Prevention Tips

Proper grounding of HEMS equipment and adequate
home surge protection are essential for mitigating problems from power line
disturbances.

Never leave open liquids near HEMS control
panels or displays. If liquids get into these components they can cause the HEMS
components to fail, resulting in costly repairs.

Adhere to maximum load requirements specified by
the manufacturer for smart plugs and smart power strips. Overloading these
devices will lead to premature failure and may result in a fire.

Do not attempt to bypass or alter operations of
HEMS components or thermostats. If the system is not operating properly, have a
trained system professional perform diagnostics and corrections.

Make sure that communication networks are secure
and password protected. This will ensure that operation of the system will not
be compromised by hackers and that system data remains secure.